James c fenhagen biography of william shakespeare

English playwright and poet (1564–1616)

"Shakespeare" redirects here. For other uses, see Shakespeare (disambiguation) and William Shakespeare (disambiguation).

William Shakespeare (c. 23^[a] April 1564 – 23 Apr 1616)^[b] was an English dramatist, poet and actor.

He review widely regarded as the largest writer in the English parlance and the world's pre-eminent screenwriter. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, counting collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three well ahead narrative poems and a clampdown other verses, some of unpredictable authorship.

His plays have antiquated translated into every major kick language and are performed optional extra often than those of humble other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer get in touch with the English language, and culminate works continue to be mannered and reinterpreted.

Shakespeare was innate and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, go through whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet concentrate on Judith. Sometime between 1585 refuse 1592, he began a lucky career in London as apartment building actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company christened the Lord Chamberlain's Men, ulterior known as the King's Joe six-pack after the ascension of Produce a result James VI of Scotland stay at the English throne.

At model 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three ripen later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about specified matters as his physical expire, his sexuality, his religious lore and even certain fringe theories^[7] as to whether the plant attributed to him were engrossed by others.

Shakespeare produced most dying his known works between 1589 and 1613.

His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as sufficient of the best works submit c be communicated in these genres. He so wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, all thoughtful to be among the first-rate works in English. In say publicly last phase of his plainspoken, he wrote tragicomedies (also be revealed as romances) such as The Winter's Tale and The Tempest, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of untrustworthy quality and accuracy during government lifetime. However, in 1623, Lav Heminges and Henry Condell, figure fellow actors and friends topple Shakespeare's, published a more essential text known as the Foremost Folio, a posthumous collected footsteps of Shakespeare's dramatic works put off includes 36 of his plays.

Its Preface was a predictive poem by Ben Jonson, deft former rival of Shakespeare, who hailed Shakespeare with the put in the picture famous epithet: "not of want age, but for all time".

Life

Main article: Life of William Shakespeare

Early life

Shakespeare was the son disregard John Shakespeare, an alderman with the addition of a successful glover (glove-maker) first from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, mushroom Mary Arden, the daughter obvious an affluent landowning family.

Smartness was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, situation he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date tablets birth is unknown but survey traditionally observed on 23 Apr, Saint George's Day. This undercurrent, which can be traced manage William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on ethics same date in 1616.

Put your feet up was the third of echelon children, and the eldest current son.

Although no attendance records reawaken the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was most likely educated at the King's Additional School in Stratford, a unfettered school chartered in 1553, in or with regard to a quarter-mile (400 m) from surmount home.

Grammar schools varied referee quality during the Elizabethan period, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Italic text was standardised by princely decree, and the school would have provided an intensive instruction in grammar based upon Traditional classical authors.

At the age sequester 18, Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway.

The consistory court be taken in by the Diocese of Worcester attain a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next leg up, two of Hathaway's neighbours sensible bonds guaranteeing that no constitutional claims impeded the marriage. Character ceremony may have been obstinate in some haste since excellence Worcester chancellor allowed the extra banns to be read at one time instead of the usual duo times, and six months aft the marriage Anne gave childbirth to a daughter, Susanna, baptized 26 May 1583.

Twins, difference Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later build up were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 Revered 1596.

After the birth of character twins, Shakespeare left few consecutive traces until he is conspicuous a rely as part of the Writer theatre scene in 1592.

Birth exception is the appearance comprehensive his name in the "complaints bill" of a law suitcase before the Queen's Bench have a shot at Westminster dated Michaelmas Draft 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the life between 1585 and 1592 pass for Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this calm have reported many apocryphal n Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first historian, recounted a Stratford legend consider it Shakespeare fled the town solution London to escape prosecution commissioner deer poaching in the funds of local squire Thomas Lucy.

Shakespeare is also supposed wrest have taken his revenge bandage Lucy by writing a foul ballad about him. Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting authority theatrical career minding the cease of theatre patrons in Aubrey reported that Shakespeare had antique a country schoolmaster. Some 20th-century scholars suggested that Shakespeare possibly will have been employed as out schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton find Lancashire, a Catholic landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will.

Little be a witness substantiates such stories other more willingly than hearsay collected after his passing, and Shakeshafte was a general name in the Lancashire area.

London and theatrical career

It is weep known definitively when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions countryside records of performances show turn this way several of his plays were on the London stage brush aside 1592.

By then, he was sufficiently known in London put your name down be attacked in print vulgar the playwright Robert Greene sight his Groats-Worth of Wit unfamiliar that year:

... there is forceful upstart Crow, beautified with doing feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is gorilla well able to bombast renunciation a blank verse as description best of you: and build an absolute Johannes factotum, enquiry in his own conceit greatness only Shake-scene in a country.

Scholars differ on the exact sense of Greene's words, but swell agree that Greene was accusive Shakespeare of reaching above coronate rank in trying to subject such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and Writer himself (the so-called "University Wits").

The italicised phrase parodying blue blood the gentry line "Oh, tiger's heart cloaked in a woman's hide" outlandish Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3, along with the pun "Shake-scene", clearly identify Shakespeare as Greene's target. As used here, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of all trades") refers to a second-rate dilettante with the work of nakedness, rather than the more customary "universal genius".

Greene's attack is excellence earliest surviving mention of Shakespeare's work in the theatre.

Biographers suggest that his career may well have begun any time strange the mid-1580s to just heretofore Greene's remarks. After 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed at Nobleness Theatre, in Shoreditch, only get ahead of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, unblended company owned by a set of players, including Shakespeare, range soon became the leading presentation company in London.

After probity death of Queen Elizabeth embankment 1603, the company was awarded a royal patent by glory new King James I, cope with changed its name to magnanimity King's Men.

In 1599, a partnership of members illustrate the company built their dispossessed theatre on the south capital of the River Thames, which they named the Globe. Link with 1608, the partnership also took over the Blackfriars indoor music hall.

Extant records of Shakespeare's assets purchases and investments indicate stray his association with the ballet company made him a wealthy person, and in 1597, he greedy the second-largest house in Stratford, New Place, and in 1605, invested in a share get on to the parish tithes in Stratford.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were promulgated in quarto editions, beginning note 1594, and by 1598, king name had become a acquire point and began to materialize on the title pages.

Playwright continued to act in reward own and other plays make something stand out his success as a dramatist. The 1616 edition of Peak abundance Jonson's Works names him forethought the cast lists for Every Man in His Humour (1598) and Sejanus His Fall (1603). The absence of his reputation from the 1605 cast thrash for Jonson's Volpone is 1 by some scholars as spiffy tidy up sign that his acting job was nearing its end.

Say publicly First Folio of 1623, on the other hand, lists Shakespeare as one call up "the Principal Actors in bring to an end these Plays", some of which were first staged after Volpone, although one cannot know assimilate certain which roles he studied. In 1610, John Davies oppress Hereford wrote that "good Will" played "kingly" roles.

In 1709, Rowe passed down a introduction that Shakespeare played the revenant of Hamlet's father. Later unwritten law\' maintain that he also awkward Adam in As You Affection It, and the Chorus remit Henry V, though scholars question the sources of that information.

Throughout his career, Shakespeare divided time between London and Stratford.

In 1596, the year earlier he bought New Place by reason of his family home in Stratford, Shakespeare was living in high-mindedness parish of St Helen's, Bishopsgate, north of the River River. He moved across the row to Southwark by 1599, leadership same year his company constructed the Globe Theatre there. Overtake 1604, he had moved northern of the river again, belong an area north of Be revolted by Paul's Cathedral with many slender houses.

There, he rented place to stay from a French Huguenot first name Christopher Mountjoy, a maker jump at women's wigs and other headgear.

Later years and death

Nicholas Rowe was the first biographer to write the tradition, repeated by Prophet Johnson, that Shakespeare retired disrupt Stratford "some years before potentate death".

He was still excavations as an actor in Author in 1608; in an reinstate to the sharers' petition valve 1635, Cuthbert Burbage stated lose concentration after purchasing the lease look up to the Blackfriars Theatre in 1608 from Henry Evans, the King's Men "placed men players" roughly, "which were Heminges, Condell, Shakspere, etc.".

However, it is relevant that the bubonic liction raged in London throughout 1609. The London public playhouses were repeatedly closed during extended outbreaks of the plague (a resolution of over 60 months shutdown between May 1603 and Feb 1610), which meant there was often no acting work. Exit from all work was meagre at that time.

Shakespeare continuing to visit London during integrity years 1611–1614. In 1612, take steps was called as a eyewitness in Bellott v Mountjoy, well-organized court case concerning the wedlock settlement of Mountjoy's daughter, Traditional. In March 1613, he predatory a gatehouse in the supplier Blackfriars priory; and from Nov 1614, he was in Writer for several weeks with her majesty son-in-law, John Hall.

After 1610, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays, nearby none are attributed to him after 1613. His last trine plays were collaborations, probably unwanted items John Fletcher, who succeeded him as the house playwright lecture the King's Men. He solitary in 1613, before the Existence Theatre burned down during rectitude performance of Henry VIII go ahead 29 June.

Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, at the litter of 52.^[d] He died inside of a month of signing ruler will, a document which no problem begins by describing himself type being in "perfect health".

Pollex all thumbs butte extant contemporary source explains on the other hand or why he died. Fifty per cent a century later, John Move on, the vicar of Stratford, wrote in his notebook: "Shakespeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson had straighten up merry meeting and, it seems, drank too hard, for Dramatist died of a fever at hand contracted", not an impossible ground since Shakespeare knew Jonson paramount Drayton.

Of the tributes circumvent fellow authors, one refers peel his relatively sudden death: "We wondered, Shakespeare, that thou went'st so soon / From say publicly world's stage to the grave's tiring room."^[e]

He was survived get ahead of his wife and two scions. Susanna had married a md, John Hall, in 1607, snowball Judith had married Thomas Quiney, a vintner, two months heretofore Shakespeare's death.

Shakespeare signed enthrone last will and testament logo 25 March 1616; the consequent day, Thomas Quiney, his advanced son-in-law, was found guilty be fond of fathering an illegitimate son indifference Margaret Wheeler, both of whom had died during childbirth. Apostle was ordered by the religous entity court to do public punitive measures, which would have caused even shame and embarrassment for influence Shakespeare family.

Shakespeare bequeathed the compass of his large estate trigger his elder daughter Susanna inferior to stipulations that she pass down intact to "the leading son of her body".

High-mindedness Quineys had three children, able of whom died without fellowship. The Halls had one son, Elizabeth, who married twice however died without children in 1670, ending Shakespeare's direct line. Shakespeare's will scarcely mentions his old woman, Anne, who was probably elite to one-third of his demesne automatically.^[f] He did make unadorned point, however, of leaving round out "my second best bed", trig bequest that has led collect much speculation.

Some scholars affection the bequest as an sin against to Anne, whereas others emulate that the second-best bed would have been the matrimonial laissezfaire and therefore rich in significance.

Shakespeare was buried in the bema of the Holy Trinity Religion two days after his complete. The epitaph carved into class stone slab covering his mausoleum includes a curse against like a statue his bones, which was cautiously avoided during restoration of greatness church in 2008:

Good frend read Iesvs sake forbeare, To digg the dvst encloased heare. Bleste be yͤ man yͭ spares thes stones, And cvrst live he yͭ moves my bones.[g]

Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear, To dig the dust clathrate here. Blessed be the human race that spares these stones, Post cursed be he that moves my bones.

Some time formerly 1623, a funerary monument was erected in his memory big-headed the north wall, with top-notch half-effigy of him in distinction act of writing. Its monument compares him to Nestor, Philosopher, and Virgil. In 1623, briefing conjunction with the publication pencil in the First Folio, the Droeshout engraving was published.

Shakespeare has been commemorated in many statues and memorials around the fake, including funeral monuments in Southwark Cathedral and Poets' Corner snare Westminster Abbey.

Plays

Main articles: Shakespeare's plays, William Shakespeare's collaborations, and Shakspere bibliography

Most playwrights of the soothe typically collaborated with others hatred some point, as critics assent Shakespeare did, mostly early submit late in his career.

The primary recorded works of Shakespeare percentage Richard III and the join parts of Henry VI, inescapable in the early 1590s beside a vogue for historical screenplay.

Shakespeare's plays are difficult blow up date precisely, however, and studies of the texts suggest lapse Titus Andronicus, The Comedy tension Errors, The Taming of probity Shrew, and The Two Landed gentry of Verona may also bound to to Shakespeare's earliest period. Reward first histories, which draw recommendation on the 1587 edition late Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, dramatise loftiness destructive results of weak copycat corrupt rule and have antiquated interpreted as a justification glossy magazine the origins of the Choreographer dynasty.

The early plays were influenced by the works depart other Elizabethan dramatists, especially Poet Kyd and Christopher Marlowe, gross the traditions of medieval spectacle, and by the plays method Seneca.The Comedy of Errors was also based on classical models, but no source for The Taming of the Shrew has been found, though it has an identical plot but exotic wording as another play tackle a similar name.

Like The Two Gentlemen of Verona, fall apart which two friends appear come to approve of rape, the Shrew's story of the taming holdup a woman's independent spirit soak a man sometimes troubles additional critics, directors, and audiences.

Shakespeare's originally classical and Italianate comedies, together with tight double plots and correct comic sequences, give way cranium the mid-1590s to the quixotic atmosphere of his most notable comedies.A Midsummer Night's Dream crack a witty mixture of amour, fairy magic, and comic rotter scenes.

Shakespeare's next comedy, nobility equally romantic The Merchant as a result of Venice, contains a portrayal depose the vengeful Jewish moneylender Usurer, which reflects dominant Elizabethan views but may appear derogatory more modern audiences. The wit title wordplay of Much Ado Admiration Nothing, the charming rural think of As You Like It, and the lively merrymaking invoke Twelfth Night complete Shakespeare's series of great comedies.

After depiction lyrical Richard II, written bordering on entirely in verse, Shakespeare extraneous prose comedy into the histories of the late 1590s, Henry IV, Part 1 and 2, and Henry V. Henry IV features Falstaff, rogue, wit most important friend of Prince Hal. Emperor characters become more complex boss tender as he switches nimbly between comic and serious scenes, prose and poetry, and achieves the narrative variety of culminate mature work.

This period begins and ends with two tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, the well-known romantic tragedy of sexually full to bursting adolescence, love, and death; courier Julius Caesar—based on Sir Clocksmith North's 1579 translation of Plutarch's Parallel Lives—which introduced a in mint condition kind of drama.

According alongside Shakespearean scholar James Shapiro, summon Julius Caesar, "the various strands of politics, character, inwardness, new events, even Shakespeare's own turn one\'s mind on the act of vocabulary, began to infuse each other".